Vienna parliament debates scrapped culture ticket levy

Vienna’s state parliament is debating a planned levy on cultural tickets that has since been abandoned, ORF reports. The parliament is holding its first session after the summer break on Tuesday, with the ÖVP submitting the issue for a current affairs debate.

The planned “culture euro” would have been an additional charge on tickets for cultural events. Mayor Michael Ludwig of the SPÖ rejected the proposal by Culture Councillor Veronica Kaup-Hasler, also of the SPÖ, last week.

Vienna’s ÖVP said the debate showed that the SPÖ and NEOS wanted to raise additional revenue and introduce new charges because of the city’s strained finances. It said existing burdens should instead be reduced and further ones prevented.

Other issues on the agenda include the situation of children and young people suffering from ME/CFS or Long COVID, and a proposed “time-out shared house” for underage prolific offenders in Vienna.

City councillors will also answer questions about grade repetition in public primary schools, Vienna’s climate alliances, minimum-income payments for single mothers and basic welfare provision in Vienna.

The session is the 14th of the current parliamentary term. A regular meeting of the city council will follow on Wednesday. The political autumn began on Monday with a special city council session requested by the FPÖ, which accused the mayor’s administration of a “Ludwig system”.